The new adapter provides improved equipment stability.

Rotar International BV, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of hydraulic attachments for the demolition, recycling and scrap metal industries, has introduced its RSQ-full hydraulic quick-coupler adapter. The new RSQ-full adapters have been integrated into the construction of the attachment itself.

According to a news release from Rotar, the hydraulic hoses and the connection are inside the attachment. The rotator heads of the attachments have been redesigned for the new RSQ adapters. Rotar says the installation is performed at the factory, not by the user. The RSQ adapters are built directly into the slewing ring, and the bolted hammer top plate disappears completely.

The compact combination of the attachment and the new RSQ adapter offers advantages, according to Rotar. Depending on the size of the attachment, the combination can be built up to 200 millimeters shorter and up to 200 kilograms lighter in comparison with traditional hammer top plates. Operators will experience improvements in the stability of their carriers because of the favorable center of gravity; this improvement has a bigger impact on high-reach excavators.

Rotar distributors or end users can order attachments with the fully integrated RSQ adapter straight from the factory for plug-and-play use. Rotar says it also has implemented a service inspection cover for the new RSQ adapter, providing easy access to components in the upper section of the attachment for service.

The company says all components, fittings and hoses needed for the installation are standardized, documented and listed in the parts manual by Rotar to facilitate repairs.

The RSQ adapters are available for the RSQ-60 through to the RSQ-90 for the RCC concrete cutter, the RDC combi shear, the RDP rotating pulverizer, the RG demolition and sorting grapple and the RSS mobile scrap shear attachments. The company says additional sizes and combinations are available on request. 

The scholarship provides $5,000 to an individual seeking a graduate degree in a field that supports the scrap processing and recycling industry.

The Recycling Education and Research Foundation (RERF), a 501©3 organization associated with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), which is based in Washington, has announced Nathan Logan as the recipient of its 2020 National Scholarship. The scholarship awards $5,000 to an individual seeking a graduate degree in a field that supports the scrap processing and recycling industry.

“The Recycling Education and Research Foundation is proud to honor Nathan Logan with this scholarship as he pursues further education in a career that integrates safety into the workplace,” says RERF President Kevin Lamar. “There is no doubt that with the knowledge Nathan gains from his studies, he will be able to make significant contributions to the business structure of the workforce and the recycling industry, as a whole.” 

According to a news release from RERF, Logan has 17 years of experience in the insurance industry, working within a variety of markets including construction, manufacturing, scrap recycling and petroleum. He is a BCSP certified safety professional and is pursuing his master of science in risk and insurance from Butler University. In 2013, he joined the risk management department of Amerisure Insurance and in his current role provides service to policyholders and agencies across Indiana.

“I am honored to receive this scholarship. Being selected feels like a validation of hard work and the aspirations I hope to reach for,” Logan says. “I am a first-generation graduate student in my family. Financially it helps us out tremendously and hopefully I will be able to contribute more to the industry.” 

After completing his advanced education, Logan hopes to use his insights and tools to protect the workers who are so vital to the businesses and help companies reduce risk and thrive.

In a presidential policy brief, the association says it supports a recycling infrastructure fund and well-designed container deposit programs to increase consumer recycling.

The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Virginia, has released a series of policy documents that it says lays out priorities that support a strong U.S. aluminum industry.

In its “Presidential Policy Brief: Recommendations for a Strong U.S. Aluminum Industry,” the association includes several recommendations for the Biden administration and Congress that it says would support a growing and vibrant U.S. aluminum sector. An addendum to the industry’s “Aluminum Agenda” released in 2019, the brief includes key policy goals in the areas of energy, environment, infrastructure, recycling and trade.

In remarks at an aluminum plant in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, during the presidential election campaign, President Biden noted how aluminum is a key part of future infrastructure development and in addressing climate change, noting that American aluminum could be used for developing more wind and solar and hydroelectric power and in electric vehicles (EVs) in the federal fleet.

The Aluminum Association says its brief further details how to make these ambitions a reality through public policy:

“We congratulate President Biden and look forward to working with him and his team in the coming months and years,” says Tom Dobbins, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association. “During this challenging time for our nation, it is critically important that we all work together toward renewal and recovery. A strong and growing domestic aluminum industry can play a role in the American comeback story.”

Last year, the Aluminum Association released economic data showing largely steady jobs and economic impact for the aluminum industry in the United States over the last decade. In total, the U.S. aluminum industry supports nearly 660,000 total jobs (166,000 direct) and nearly $172 billion in total economic output ($70 billion direct). Modeling through the third quarter of 2020 suggested that COVID-19 driven economic disruptions likely reduced jobs and output about 11 percent, according to the association.

“Among the many lessons of the past year is just how essential American manufacturing is to a strong and healthy country,” Dobbins says. “We are ready to roll up our sleeves and do our part as aluminum producers, recyclers and fabricators. We look forward to working with policymakers to grow good-paying manufacturing jobs while building a more sustainable world.”

U.K.-based equipment maker says markets are growing for its sorting equipment and recycling systems.

United Kingdom-based Kiverco Ltd. has announced the addition of three new staff members to serve what the equipment maker calls the increased business opportunities it is seeing in the recyclables sorting space.

Kelly McGrath joins Kiverco as a project costing analyst, bringing more than 10 years of experience in project management, says the firm. “Kiverco has secured several exciting projects, and we’re confident that Kelly will help us to facilitate this growth,” states the Northern Ireland-based company.

In her new role, Kelly will be responsible for pricing projects and will work with the sales team to ensure each project proposal contains all necessary information for each customer.

Niamh-Anne McNally has joined Kiverco as a marketing manager, bringing with her more than 10 years of experience in marketing. McNally has worked in a marketing capacity for several other Northern Ireland-based firms.

Jessica Magowan has joined Kiverco as a project planner, where she will work with the production team from start to finish to plan staff schedules, production timeframes, and the deployment of resources required for a successful installation, says the firm.

Kiverco makes and installs screens, other sorting equipment and entire systems used in multiple-materials recycling applications, including at material recovery facilities (MRFs), mixed construction and demolition materials sorting plants, and in waste-to-energy and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) applications.

German copper producer cites lofty prices and stable demand as beneficial to its bottom line.

Hamburg, Germany-based Aurubis AG says it now expects operating earnings before taxes (EBT) of between 270 million euros and 330 million euros ($328.5 million to $401.5 million) during its 2020/2021 fiscal year. The range represents an increase from an earlier forecast of from 210 million euros and 270 million euros ($255.5 million to $401.5 million) in operating EBT.

The current fiscal year for the company, which predominantly makes copper, runs from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021. For that fiscal year, Aurubis says it is forecasting an operating return on capital employed (ROCE) of from 9 to 12 percent, following the previous forecast of 8 to 11 percent.

“At the start of the fiscal year, even the forecasts provided by industry experts were inconsistent,” says Roland Harings, CEO of Aurubis. “This was one reason that we planned very conservatively. It is now apparent that both the refining charges for recycling materials and the metal prices will remain at the current high level. This will benefit us during the fiscal year, as will the strong demand for all products across all customer segments.”

According to preliminary figures, Aurubis generated an operating EBT of 82 million euros ($99.7 million) in the first quarter of its current fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020. That represents a 165 percent increase compared with operating EBT of 31 million euros ($37.7 million) in the year-ago first quarter.

Aurubis says each year it produces more than 1 million tons of marketable copper cathodes made from copper concentrates and scrap materials. It operates melt shops in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany and Spain in Europe and has a plant in Buffalo, New York.